Fair Trade Coffee, Yes You Should Care

Rafael de Paiva was skeptical at first. If he wanted a “fair trade” certification for his coffee crop, the Brazilian farmer would have to adhere to a long list of rules on pesticides, farming techniques, recycling and other matters. He even had to show that his children were enrolled in school. “I thought, ‘This is difficult,’” recalled the humble farmer. But the 20 percent premium he recently received for his first fair trade harvest made the effort worthwhile, Mr. Paiva said, adding, it “helped us create a decent living.” Excerpt from the NY Times, October 2, 2007

This article is the jumping point for an interesting and important discussion, actually more of a question. Are you willing to pay .50 cents more for a cup of coffee or $1 dollar more per pound for the privilege of grounding your own coffee?